Safety device for submarine boats.



J. E. GONAWAY. SAFETY DEVICE FOR SUBMARINE BOATS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE l7, 1913.

Patented Feb. 9, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

wi iimaooeo J. E. CONAWAY. SAFETY DEVICE FOR SUBMARINE BOATS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 17, 1913.

Patented Feb. 9, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

saEErY' nEvroE iron SUBMNE nears.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. a, lain.

Application filed June 17, 1913. Serial no. 774,200.

which forms an intermediate section in the v boat and is capable of being detached from the boat as a means for bringing the crew to the surface.

A still further object is to provide a separate compartment in the boat for the reception of the tank, which compartment may be flooded to raise the tank from the boat.

A still further object is to provide novel means for normally securing the tank stationary in the compartment.

A still further object is to provide means for automatically establishing communication between the tank and the atmosphere when the tank comes to the surface.

With the above object in View the invention consists of certain novel details of con struction and combination of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, it being understood that various modifications may be made in the minor details of construction within the scope of the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating this invention: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a conventional submarine boat showing the compartment and tank in section. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan vview. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view with the tank removed. Fig. i is a cross sectional view on the line 4.4 Fig. 1 with the tank in normal position. Fig. 5 is a similar cross sectional view to Fig. t with the tank removed. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view through the air valve. tional view throu h the tank attaching means. Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view in ele vation showing the tank door.

Referring now to the drawings in which.

like characters of reference designate similar parts, 10 designatesa conventional submarine boat. Preferably located midway between the ends of the boat so as to be within convenient reach of the crew there is dis- Fig. 7 isa longitudinal sec-' being made of the life saving apparatus hireinafter described during adrill or the A cylindrical tank 15 is disposed Within the casing and is spaced on all sides from the sides and bottom of the casing whereby there exists an air space 16 between the tank and the casing. The tank is closed by a convex cover 17 which is riveted or otherwise secured in place as shown at 18 and bears upon the flanged mouth 12 of the casmg. The cover is provided'with a manhole 19 through which the occupants of the tank may leave the tank when it reaches the surface, entry to'the tank when in the boat being effected by means of doors as will presently be described.

The tank is normally anchored stationary within the casing by means of a screw 20 which passes through a stufling box 21' in the floor of the tank and threads into a nut 22 carried stationary in a block 23 that is bolted as shown at 24: orotherwise rigidly secured to the floor of the casing. The screw is provided with a head 25 having lateral lever openings 26 into which a bar or other lever may be inserted to rotate the screw and back it out of the nut whereby to detach the tank from the casing. When so detached, the casing is flooded whereby the tank floats out of the boat and rises to the surface.

For flooding the casing after the crew has entered the tank, ll provide a plurality of flooding pipes 27 that. open through the floats out of the boat as soon as the screwis retractedto free the tank from the casing. There are anti-friction rollers 29 disposed on the inner wall of the casing and engaging the outer wall of the tank which rollers facilitate the tank rising out of thecasing freely and easily regardless of whether the boat is resting on an even keel or not. Dishandle 33 by means of which the door may be slid closed after the crew enters the tank.

The door is equipped with a gasket around the edges and may be drawn inwardly to compress this gasket and form a. water-tight joint by means of yokes 34 disposed on the inner face of the door and engageable' with the inner wall of the tank. Hinged doors 35 are arranged in the walls of the casing and swing outwardly from the ca'sing,.there being handles 36 on the door to facilitate their being swung open. The doors are equipped with yokes 37 which engage with the inner wall'of the casing when the doors are closed and draw the doors tightly closed thereby compressing the gaskets carried by the doors toprevent leakage from the casing into the boat when the casing is flooded.

The operation is ,as follows: When the submarine boat has met with an accident and has sunk,'the crew at a predetermined signal rush from both ends of the boat and swing open the casing doors 35, and enter the tank, it being understood that the doors of the latter are normally left open to facilitate quick access to the tank. in an emergency. After entering the tank, should there be time, the casing doors are closed andlocked closed by means of their yokes, otherwise are left. open. The doors of the tank are closedand locked closed by their yokes 34. The crew now open the flooding valves 28 with a resultant flooding of the casing. The screw 20 is now retracted to free the tank from the casing, whereupon the tank being buoyant'by virtue of the air contained therein, floats out of the casing to the surface. For supplying the tank with air after it comes to the surface a branched pipe39 is mounted in the cover of the tank and is equipped .within the tank with a 'controlling valve 40. Above the tank 17 is mounted a casing 42 having an inverted frusto-conical bottom with a valve seat at its apex, the valve seat being shown at 44, through which the air enters when the tank is only partly submerged and passes through the branches of the a r pipe 39 into the easing, it being noted that these branches ass through the bottom of the casing. A oat valve 45' is provided for the valve seat 44 and is carried by a rod 43, the lower end of which is slidably mounted in a guide 43 on the tank 17, while the upper end is slidably mounted in a guide in a cross bar in the casing 42, as illustrated. \Vith this construction it will be seen that when the boat is above the surface, the float valve 45 is in the lowered position illustrated in Fig. 6 so that air may enter the casing and be drawn from it through the branches of the pipe '39. When, however, the boat sinks below the surface, the valve 45 rises into the valve seat 44 and entrance of water into the casing 42 is prevented. It of course will be understood that the gaskets are employed wherever desired.-

- From the above description it will be seen that I have provided an extremely simple and eflective device for saving the crew of a sunken submarine boat.

What is claimed, is

The combination with a submarine boat of a float tank removably mounted therein, a cover on said tank, an upwardly ,projecting dome carried by said cover, vertical rods supporting said dome, a plurality of vertical pipes entering said dome from said tank, a downwardly projecting conical valve seat normally open to the air centrally of the interior of said dome, a buoyant valve centrally beneath said seat adapted to close said valve when said valve is immersed in water.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH El/VD. CONAWAY.

Witnesses:

IsAAo H. CoNAwAy, ANNA O. Rnvron. 

